The loss of a friend
by Rangerfan58
Summary: A defense team losses a member and it affects everyone, what will the team do now that they are down a member?. profile explains how i choose to rate things and the full summary is inside and all in one go due to how short the story is
1. Chapter 1

_What you recognize I don't own. Now then in this story I am assuming that Mirai had a means of contacting his superiors for regular reports and after the mission to Kobe also talked regularly to his Earth bound family. I am also going to assume that seeing as how Sakomizu knew about Mirai from the beginning Mirai told the captain how to get in contact with his superiors if anything should happen and that his superiors gave Sakomizu permission to reveal the truth to the main members of GUYS if anything happened to Mirai after an initial contact letting them know about Mirai being part of GUYS and Sakomizu being the captain and knowing Mirai's identity. This story is also AU based on part of the ending of episode 21 and will go through probably at least until either episode 29 or 30, I may also go further but am unsure at this time and for the first part there is definitely going to be quoting done and also for a few other things, otherwise I will not really be following the episodes. Oh and I will not be using any honorifics even though the characters are technically speaking Japanese, it isn't so much that it takes longer as much as the fact that since I am writing it in complete English not many are used to the honorific system used in Japan and as such I will not be writing them in. if you are familiar with the series and Japan in general just assume that honorifics are used, though the full names are in proper Japanese. As as always thoughts are in italics and mental communication will be in asterisks_

The group had just been forced to duck to avoid being hit by Bogal look alikes and the group knew they had to get to the Gun Speeder so Ryu made a decision that was needed

"Marina, Teppei, go on ahead"

Mirai brought out his gun and spoke up to calm the other two before protests were made

"I've got your back"

Ryu and Mirai turn and face the enemy while Marina and Teppei continue running towards safety and the Captain also providing backup from the plane he was in. Ryu and Mirai continued the fight and then Mirai _knew_ what had to be done

"Ryu, you have to go. I've got your back"

"Mirai I hope you're not thinking of sacrificing yourself"

"We're all going home. Everyone of us, I'm not going to let our time be stopped, however I am asking you to hold onto this until we get back"

With those words Mirai hands over the pocket watch belonging to Ban Hiroto which Ryu takes and then runs

(Thinks) " _I'm sorry Ryu, everyone but I can't let you get killed, Earth needs you more than they need Ultraman. I know the coming hours and even days or weeks are going to be a confusing time but at least you will still be around to protect Earth_ "

Mirai distracts the enemy and turns into Mebius after an explosion in the same area as his human form and Ryu hearing his scream yelling his name. Ryu argues with the Captain but eventually the group leaves and the portal closes behind them, with Konomi and George contacting them

"Gun Phoenix striker do you read?"

Ryu responds after the second call for them

"This is Gun Phoenix striker"

"Welcome back, we were worried you couldn't make it back"

"Were there any survivors?"

"We didn't find any survivors, but...Mirai..."

"What about Mirai?"

Ryu takes a moment to gather himself and then speaks again

"Mirai stayed behind to cover me, he...he didn't make it back to the plane...Mirai is...is..."

Captain Sakomizu takes over knowing that Ryu could no longer speak

"Mirai is officially missing and presumed dead. When we get back to Earth I have to talk to the five of you about something, it was a request by Mirai when the group was first formed. Hopefully I can do so an hour after we land but I must inform Mirai's relatives first and I don't know exactly how long that will take, I will find a way to let you know if the meeting is going to be delayed any"

The group finally makes it back and Sakomizu quickly goes to his office and types up a report for the Land of Light and the four Ultra stuck in Kobe and then waits to hear back from them in regards to a request he asked, already knowing that the five main members of GUYS were already given permission but Sakomizu wanted to give permission to two more people for a reason that he felt was valid, but he also knew that he needed permission to add the two other people. While waiting word from the Land of Light he actually received a message from Kobe asking if he wanted the four Ultra still on Earth to come to the base when he explained the truth about Mirai to them. Back when Mirai had visited Kobe and happened upon them and Yapool, they had given Mirai permission to reveal their presence to Sakomizu after the incident in Kobe was over so that Sakomizu knew that he had more allies waiting to be called in at need, and they were also told the four had regained their ability to become Ultra again which was a big help. What Mirai _didn't_ know was that the four of them discussed the possibility of revealing themselves to the rest of Crew GUYS if anything happened to Mebius and decided that yes they would reveal themselves if needed and be by the side of Mirai's crew when they were told the truth. Sakomizu easily granted the request and as such knowing it would take them at least a day to get to their location informed the rest of the crew through Misaki that the explanation would wait about a day because some people related to the information about Mirai wanted to be there as well. Fifteen minutes after that Sakomizu received permission to include the two other people he wanted to include

"Wonder who's coming and what it has to do with Mirai"

"Who knows, but for now if I recall correctly we've been temporarily stood down to deal with Mirai's loss"

"That might be a good thing, but for now who wants to do something besides..."

"Besides collecting Mirai's belongings to give to any family that might arrive?"

"Yeah"

"That needs done but not yet, I think...I think we might all benefit from a game of soccer, I'll be one of the goal keepers"

"Okay George, standard rules?"

"Pretty much, but we're only going until one team has six goals or the Captain stops us, whichever comes first"

"Then I'll be the other goal keeper"

"Teppei you sure?"

"I'm sure, you need this more than we do Ryu"

"I'll cheer the two teams on then with Lim"

"Okay Konomi"

The group simply played soccer for a bit and then they finally turned towards the duty they hated the most, packing up Mirai's room to give to relatives when they arrived. As they packed up his room they started noticing that he collected a lot of literature and art, they also discovered that his personal computer was keyed to a password which while not unusual was different in regards to the fact that it was almost like the computer didn't recognize Japanese (they were unaware that the password was a translation from something about the World of Light into Japanese and as such had unique spelling). The next day they were told to gather in the main observation room where Konomi and Teppei worked out of the most

"Toriyama, what are you doing here?"

"That's what I'd like to know"

Sakomizu came in and spoke up

"You're hear because of the fact that you also worked with Mirai, though not as much as the rest do and as such you also deserve to hear what I have to say in regards to Mirai. Now then I have already informed security about the fact that I am expecting guests to arrive soon, when they get here I ask everyone to remain quiet until all the explanations about Mirai are given. Teppei this order affects you the most due to how enthusiastic you can be sometimes about what I have to say"

A security officer comes in right after Sakomizu finishes giving instructions

"Captain, there are four people here who say they were invited by you"

"Did they give you their names?"

"Yes they said that they were Hayata Shin, Moroboshi Dan, Go Hideki, and Hokuto Seiji"

"Yes I was indeed expecting them, bring them here once they are inside"

"Yes sir, Captain, do you want us to find Hibino Mirai while we're at it?"

"No, I know why he isn't here"

The officer leaves to escort the four people Sakomizu indicated were to be brought to the room. Five minutes later the four were in the room and the door closed


	2. Chapter 2

"Welcome to Phoenix Nest Hayata Shin, Moroboshi Dan, Go Hideki and Hokuto Seiji"

"Thank you for allowing us to be here for Hibino's friends for this rough transition from what they knew"

"Captain, what's going on?"

(Sighs) "I should start by telling you that our loss is greater than you think, we didn't just lose Mirai yesterday in the Ultra Zone but also Ultraman Mebius"

"What, Mebius is missing...how?"

"Because Ultraman Mebius to you was known as Hibino Mirai, he took on a human form when he came to protect Earth. There's more I have to say about it, but it explains his disappearances on occasion"

And so for the next hour Sakomizu simply explained everything he could about Mirai and how he came to protect Earth as Ultraman Mebius, how Sakomizu came to know about him and then he turned to his four guests

"Do you want to explain why you four are here or do you want to simply leave now?"

"No, after they've absorbed the information we want to talk to them as well about something"

"I'm not sure we can be any more shocked right now"

"Actually that's where you're wrong, because we want to take Mebius' belongings back to Kobe with us, and for you to understand why you have to understand the relationship between us and Mebius"

"What relationship?"

"Hayata Shin, also known as Ultraman"

"Moroboshi Dan, UltraSeven"

"Go Hideki, Ultraman Jack"

"Hokuto Seiji, Ultraman Ace"

Once the four revealed their true identities it turned out to be too much for Teppei and he simply fainted. Fortunately he was easily revived and the four explained why they were still on Earth after all this time and also told stories about their time defending Earth as part of their respective defense teams, all of them knowing with the truth now out that the rest of the time was spent as being a wake

"When will we officially announce Mirai's loss? I know we can never reveal the truth about him being Mebius, and we're going to need to practice keeping that close to our hearts, but the base deserves to hear something about Mirai"

"The official announcement will happen tomorrow, according to the Land of Light that's when Mirai's...successor will arrive"

The next day the group discovered that Ultraman Taro would be the one to take over where Mirai left off and he turned into a young man about twenty years old named Tachibana Tobei. After his arrival the group spent hundreds of hours practicing protecting Mirai's secret and also Tachibana's both in surprise and announced drills until it got to the point where the group instinctively protected the identities. During that time they also as a group returned the pocket watch of Ban Hiroto, and while normally they wouldn't have done that, the five Ultra insisted that they do so letting them know that if any trouble arrived they would handle it, fortunately the enemy known as Lesser Bogal didn't cause _too_ much trouble until the group could arrive for battle but it was enough to be worrying about never leaving the base unattended again for something like what they had just done

"So what's the plan for today?"

"Mostly patrols, Tachibana is off today per orders"

"But..."

"Nope, not hearing it Tachibana, when was the last time you actually had a day off?"

"Um..."

"Figured as much"

"Why don't you go to Kobe for the day?"

"No Konomi, I am not allowing him to go there for a day"

"But Captain..."

"That's because hearing he's never actually taken a vacation he's being ordered to take a week off to spend with his brothers. I know full well how quickly you can get back here at need in our planes, besides I was going to send you there anyways soon enough for a day or two, now I am simply doing so a little early is all"

The group helps get Taro ready and finally Sakomizu hears exactly what he's been waiting for

"Good, he's on his way" (goes to the monitor and punches a few buttons) "it's me, we're springing the trap a bit early since he needs a break, tell the others"

The rest of the group look at the captain in confusion and he quickly understands

"Okay, now then as you are probably unaware of the Ultra do not celebrate their birthdays like we do, mainly because they live a very long time. However the four Ultra stuck on Earth decided to give Taro a traditional Earth celebration for two reasons, first off to make him blend in, the second reason is because apparently Taro and Mebius were born close together, though also years apart and all five wanted to do something to remember Mirai by, and as such the senior Ultra made the decision to remember him in the form of a birthday for Taro"

"How early are you sending him to Kobe?"

"A week early, and just like now I am sure that Taro doesn't expect the true reason I was going to send him there"

"He thinks he's being sent there on vacation and the four of them won't reveal the truth until the time is right will they?"

"Exactly, I already let them know the trap is being set early, in a few minutes I will let them know how long he's going to be there so that they can plan accordingly"

"Why wait a few minutes?"

"So that they can get the place Taro is staying at ready"

"Makes sense then"

Taro arrived in Kobe and then the next day was the birthday party which Taro enjoyed and understood why the four older ones wanted to do so. They also spent that time simply catching up to each other and trading Mebius stories, Taro mostly training stories while the other four told other stories about things they had heard from Mebius after the Kobe mission regarding Yapool

"How is GUYS doing in regards to his loss?"

"I think they've accepted it, though they don't like it, they've also taken to specialized training so that if they are ever under alien control whoever is controlling them doesn't realize that they knew Mebius' identity and also know mine, we are a very tight nit group as well, the only reason I am here for a week is under orders from the captain after he heard I haven't taken a break in a very long time"

"Yeah, he told us about that"

"I don't get it, he knows I'm experienced enough to know when I need a break"

"That may be true Taro, but you also have to remember that they're still coping with Mirai's loss, I think you've noticed your teammates getting more time off recently than before. He understands that they need that time, however he also realizes that you're probably coping by _not_ taking a break and that is actually dangerous Taro and you know it"

"I know, but I...I want them to have the same trust in me that they did Mebius, and not simply because I have fought for Earth before"

"Taro, you know full well that kind of trust will come in time, and honestly I think you have more trust then you think, and not simply because you've protected Earth before, there's more probably going on that you don't notice with you trying so hard"

"Ace I..."

The group decides soon after to go to bed, meanwhile back at Phoenix Nest the rest of the crew was up late talking

"Guys is it just me or is Taro trying to hard to gain our trust based on something other than him protecting Earth before"

"That's exactly what's going on, I believe he feels we only trust him because of his previous stint as Earth's protector"

"Can you honestly deny that wasn't true at first Teppei?" 

"Not entirely, but within a week he gained my trust, not because he's protected Earth before but because I saw he genuinely cared for us"

"Took me a little longer, but that's because I spent three days unconscious mister I'm going to drug you for minor surgery and then a few days longer just so I don't have to tell you how badly the other one was hurt"

"Captain?"

"He gained my trust second full day at base when he protected a worker from falling objects in the work bay"

"Oh I remember hearing about that incident, he later said he was in there checking out the planes he was going to be flying"

"The point is, all of us trust him for reasons other than the fact that he's protected Earth before, however he isn't seeing it is he?"

"No he's not, but hopefully the other four will help him in regards to that thought process"

"Captain is there any way for us to help Taro understand we trust him for what we personally have seen instead of what we have read?"

"I honestly don't know right now"

"Understood Captain, for now we leave it to his brothers"

"Agreed"

Taro spent the week in Kobe actually relaxing like he was supposed to and the other four also took time off to be with Taro and between the four of them they started to get Taro to see that maybe, just maybe the GUYS team saw Taro not for a former defender of Earth but someone to trust because of who he was around them

"We'll keep in contact Taro"

"I know and appreciate it, by the way what exactly did you guys do with Mebius' things?"

"That's for us to know and in time if we decide for you and Crew GUYS to find out"

Taro leaves Kobe and arrives shortly before Sakomizu leaves for business and of course once the captain leaves that's when trouble strikes. Ryu and Taro were at a festival when red rain was reported and the group was attacked by Yapool, with Ryu being taken and Taro being knocked unconscious with one last effort to reach him before he lost the fight. When he regained consciousness he was in the medical center and the group talked to him one after the other in relief


	3. Chapter 3

"Taro?"

"Are you alright Amigo?"

"George"

"Good morning"

"I'm glad you woke up"

Taro then asked a valid question in his mind since while he was an experienced fighter even he sometimes would forget what happened when suddenly losing consciousness

"What happened to me?"

Teppei was the one to explain

"Taro, you lost consciousness in South Sawa city"

"South Sawa city..."

That's when everything comes back in an instant and he suddenly sits up

"Ryu! The sky broke, it was like glass like Yapool and a monster took Ryu"

Suddenly Taro heard a voice he wasn't expecting

"What about me?"

"Ryu, you're alive"

"Of course I am! There was nothing wrong"

"Nothing wrong?"

"There was sign of red rain...but the sky was fine"

"We didn't see any data of monster appearance"

"That can't be..." (thinks) " _I saw it with my own eyes_ "

*It's no use, no one will believe you because you are the only one who hears my voice*

*Who are you?*

*I am Yapool from another dimension*

*Mebius and the others defeated Yapool*

During the short conversation the other four looked at each other and used subtle hand signals like practiced to make a plan to fool Yapool long enough for the enemy to reveal itself and decide that they were going to act like they weren't aware of the control Ryu was under, but at least they were getting first hand proof that all their training was paying off because they could tell that it didn't look like Yapool knew that Ryu and the others actually knew the truth about Taro, that Yapool thought that no one was aware of Ryu being under their control. As such the rest knew to act like nothing was wrong

"Um...why are you two staring into each others eyes?"

"Wait! You two had that kind of relationship?"

"Honestly, we have a secret that only we know"

The rest act like they're freaking out as part of the plan to fool Yapool and shortly afterwords Toriyama who was also in on the Ultra secret came in

"It's so noisy in here, what are you all yapping about?"

The group laughs and then once the four are sure that Yapool is focused on Taro they quickly use hand signals to relay the true situation to Toriyama who nods in understanding. Meanwhile with Yapool and Taro Yapool decides to give Taro a warning

*Humans are worthless creatures, annihilating them is easy*

*Leave from that body*

*You're only going to make it worse by making this a big deal*

*What?*

Meanwhile Misaki reveals the new GUYS equipment and Yapool places bombs on the planes and messes with the equipment once hearing about it. But while Ryu was away from the rest of the team they made plans on what to do about Yapool

"Honestly there isn't much we can do until Yapool reveals itself"

"True, but we can mitigate the damage by acting like we don't know anything and then double checking our equipment before we do any testing"

"Not entirely, we check for things that could hurt people like bombs, but if Yapool wants to mess with the testing of the equipment we let them pretend to trick us because I get the feeling that Taro will get involved and Yapool in Ryu will try and make us lose faith in his human form"

"That's actually a better plan, if he shoots Taro we shoot him?"

"Works for me"

"I'm just glad all our training is paying off"

"Agreed, we'd never be able to fool Yapool otherwise"

"Though I do wonder how Yapool managed to trick our systems"

"Who knows"

The next day they do the experiment and things go wrong, finally Taro gets out into the field where Yapool/Ryu sees him first and speaks up while the others are around the computer

"So someone must have tapped into the system"

"Tapped in? Who would do that?"

"Who else...but him!"

Yapool/Ryu brings out his gun while speaking and points it at Taro bringing the attention of the others to the fact that Taro was awake and ready for action, which let the rest of the group know that it was almost time for action, but for now they still had to act like they knew nothing

"Tobei...?"

"You think he's the culprit?"

"You all know it, he was weird since yesterday"

The others look at each other simply to nod that they were ready for action

"That's true, but..."

"Maybe...he's an alien, he disguised as a human and betrayed us"

right afterwords Yapool/Ryu shot Taro in the arm, too fast for the others to act and while the others knew it was time for action they were held back by the fact that they knew Yapool still thought they were unaware of the truth, and Taro also knew it wasn't the right time for the rest of the group to act and as such mentally approved of the fact that they were acting shocked and unsure of what to do or who to believe

"Answer me...who are you?...I guess you can't answer"

Before Yapool could hurt Taro again the gun is shot out of Ryu's hand and the rest turn and see Sakomizu (who had been informed of the plan the night before so he could play along depending on what he sees when he gets to the testing location) with his gun pointed at Ryu


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh boy, this is what I come back to?"

Taro, who was unaware of the fact that Sakomizu was due back spoke up in shock

"Captain Sakomizu"

"No matter what, the real Ryu would never shoot Tobei"

The rest look back at Ryu and subtly start getting their hands towards their weapons while Sakomizu keeps talking

"So answer, who are you?"

And that's when Yapool _finally_ in their minds reveals themselves

"Insignificant humans"

The sky breaks and the monster is revealed, and while the rest take care of the Yapool monster Ryu and Taro fight with Taro shooting Ryu and then fighting Vakishim. Once the battle was over Taro found out through the others that Ryu was alive, unconscious but alive and would be fine and so he waited with the rest of the group for Ryu to wake up

"Where am I?"

"He's awake"

"Captain..."

"Welcome back Ryu"

"Tobei...I went to South Sawa city with you to investigate and then..."

"Do you not remember anything?"

"After all that?"

"All that?"

"If he doesn't remember anything...you don't know about this"

Sakomizu reveals the shot memory display

"Who's the one that broke my heart's fire?"

"But Ryu...you told me to"

"Taro...you're the culprit"

"Only because of Yapool!"

"Oh...okay I think I understand...uh okay I don't at all and require an explanation of what's been going on since the investigation"

"Sure, by the way you should know that our training payed off, as far as we knew Yapool didn't realize you knew the truth about Taro or that we also knew"

"Good to hear"

And so for the next hour the group told both Sakomizu and Ryu the full story in regards to Yapool vs Taro and Ryu got a little scared at how close he came to not only killing Taro but the others as well

"Oh we weren't at any risk from the detonator, we knew about the bombs beforehand though we didn't let on, as for Taro he was probably prepared as well seeing as how we all know the secret"

"Not the other techs that were there with us"

"Good point forget I said anything"

"Oh I was still actually prepared even with the techs that were there that aren't in on the secret"

"How so?"

"First I would have dodged the shot, you know full well I am already known for fast reflexes, after that I already modified my weapon to release stun charges against human opponents and as such I would have used my gun on Ryu to knock him out long enough for Yapool to leave him and us to take care of the monster that appeared in the sky"

"When was this and why didn't you get my approval?"

"As to when I did it in the first week I got the weapon as to why I tried fifteen different times before I just decided to go for it"

"You did?"

Misaki is the one to speak up this time

"He did, I was there whenever he verbally tried to ask your permission three different times and then for some reason the written requests never made it to your desk, or Toriyama's, as such I made the decision to give permission and inform you at a better time but I never got the chance"

"Okay I wasn't aware of that, I would have given permission if I had known and am in fact wondering just how you managed to do so seeing as how as far as I am aware the guns were made to be tamper proof since it was assumed we'd just be going up against monsters only with these weapons"

"I can show you with another blaster and can modify everyone's if you so choose"

"I actually want to wait on that"

"What for?"

"You'll see, but for now I think it's time we all get some rest, it's been a stressful few days"

Eventually the weapon that used Phoenix Nest was finally completed, though the group wasn't aware of it at first, and they were also about to discover something else about the base that no one suspected not even Taro, they were shown an animation of the base and saw it changing shape

"Cool"

"I didn't know Phoenix Nest had a flight mode"

"I knew it had a unique shape"

Toriyama laughed and spoke up

"Are you all surprised?" 

and George and Marina wound up finishing each others sentence

"Why would you keep..."

"...something so important from us?"

"This is a top secret that only headquarters and select few people know, therefor it was withheld from all of you"

And then Maru decided to burst Toriyama's bubble

"Therefore, the Adjutant just found out today as well"

"Maru I was getting there"

"So we shoot the new METEOR from this Phoenix Canon to close the inter-dimensional gate"

"Exactly, and on top of that Dimensional Dissolver lasts semi-permanently"

The group then waits for the weapon to arrive with Sakomizu when they heard of the attack


	5. Chapter 5

"Captain!"

"Ryu, be quiet"

"Is the Captain alright?"

"He's resting right now, his life is not in danger"

The group goes to the command center depressed and Toriyama slightly cheers them up, and then they learn that the plan would fail, up until Taro figured out that Misaki had the permission to activate flight mode

"Taro it's not that simple, I may normally have permission but there are others who are questioning my right as the Deputy inspector general"

Fortunately Misaki would be given permission and Sakomizu woke up to ask for it and with the weapon they managed to seal the rift, though not before a fight happens

"That took longer than it should have, by the way Toriyama what is up with you lately?"

"Sorry I haven't been getting much sleep for reasons I am not getting into right now because for the moment they are private, I will let you know if they involve you should it come to it"

"But for now you're going to be a little short tempered and might fall asleep on us without even trying to be, okay we understand, but if you need help let us know"

"I will, I know when to ask for help don't worry"

The alarm sounded and the group went out and fought another monster and this time Taro wasn't needed but only because of the fact that they recognized the monster as an ally and not an enemy most of the time

"Good thing we succeeded in getting that monster back to normal"

"Agreed, it could have turned bad if we hadn't found that control device"

"Tobei, did you already know about the peaceful nature of that group?"

"Yes, which is why I didn't get involved this time, though I was prepared to do so if needed"

Over the next few days things were calm and then Toriyama came in and revealed he was asking for help with choosing a new Maquette monster for the group

"Tomorrow's the due date"

"I get it, you want our help"

"Are you a child?"

"You have to do your own homework"

"I've been trying, but we keep getting interrupted, I haven't been procrastinating despite what Maru said"

"Toriyama..."

Misaki speaks up then

"Toriyama is telling the truth, I've seen him trying to do his work several times and despite the relatively quiet period we've had he's still been interrupted. I even saw him taking work home with him a few times recently"

"Oh"

The group starts looking at the different monsters and then noticed a capsule with Mebius in it

"I know we all miss him, but I think it better not to make Mebius into an ally like that, not only could you hurt Taro by bringing him out at the wrong moment but it will be hard on all of us to see him just vanish like Miclas does after only a minute"

The group continues and decides to have a mock battle when things go wrong with Zetton. Fortunately Taro manages to take the enemy down and when he gets back to the command center he's welcomed back with open arms

"Good work there, almost thought we would lose you a few times"

"It was close once or twice...captain I wouldn't have minded seeing Mebius help me even if it was for a minute but I do understand your concern about doing so on a regular basis"

"For now it's still only Miclas and Windam then in the end"

"Agreed, Toriyama let headquarters know about our decision"

"Will do, I will also let them know not to use any more Ultra's if they decide to do this again"

"Might be a good idea"

The group continues fighting regular attacks with each of them getting hurt at least once each attack. Taro in his human form started showing up in medical a _lot_ more frequently than was normal for either him or before his loss Mebius

"Tobei what is going on?"

"Sorry guys, can't explain yet, there is a reason I am winding up in medical more frequently but now isn't the time to explain, but soon, soon you'll have answers I promise"

It would turn out the group got answers sooner than expected when Tobei simply collapsed while on duty during a short lull in monster attacks. The group had decided to catch up on some paperwork and regular patrols that had been lagging because of their monster duties and Taro in his human form decided to be part of the patrol to see the city since he hadn't had a chance to recently. While outside the vehicle simply talking to people Taro passed out and George who was with him acted fast

"Tobei...wake up...you're burning up"

George quickly called for medical to come pick Taro up while he finished patrol, once that was done he joined his teammates in medical awaiting word on Taro's condition

"How is he doctor?"

"Not good captain Sakomizu, he has an incredibly high fever and his breathing is erratic at best and non existent at worst, we're getting close to intubating him. We've been seeing him because of the fact that for some reason he's bruising really easily right now, even normal combat practicing has him ending up in here for medical treatment. We've run several tests and haven't been able to come up with any answers, and the only reason we haven't pull him from duty medically is because up until today except for the bruising issue he's been fine to work so long as he's careful"

"That means that he's either been hiding symptoms from you guys or it's a sudden progression"

"Exactly...captain he said that if anything happened to him where we have to have him unconscious for any extended period of time to contact a Hayata Shin in Kobe and have him come here"

"I know why, and will contact him myself"

"Understood sir"

The doctors leave the group alone with their friend

"It must be serious if he's asking for his Ultra relatives to come"

"Agreed, I'll contact Hayata and ask him to call the others and simply hope the four arrive in time"

The next day the four disguised Ultra showed up and as soon as they heard everything that had happened they knew what was going on with Taro

"It's something that occasionally happens when we've been working too hard on several things at once, but it also needs an environmental trigger of some sort, as such he must have been exposed to something and even though you thought he had healed from the incident it was only the beginning of the situation"

"The cyber attack, when we were trying to find new allies"

"Oh yeah, that wound...okay that makes sense"

"Care to explain?"

So the group explained the story and then the four Ultra knew what was needed

"However it's going to keep us unconscious for a day once we transfer energy to him so you need to find an excuse of some sort for us"

"Don't worry we'll have it covered"

The next day the four disguised Ultra woke up but Taro didn't

"It didn't work did it?"

"It worked, but he's been fighting this for long enough that it's going to take him a little more time to recover than for us to recover from transferring some of our energy to him"

"Okay then at least he _will_ recover"

Taro would wake up two days later and quickly got back into the fight, then one day while they were relaxing Taro looked up into the sky and very suddenly stood up

"Tobei what's wrong?"

(Thinks) " _I have to contact the four in Kobe because of trouble bigger than I can handle and Zoffy is on the way? I have to possibly hold on until help arrives_ " (out loud) "guys we need to get back to base, now"

"Okay, what for?"

"I'll explain once we're back"

The group gets back to base and everyone in on the secret could tell something was up

"What's wrong Tobei?"

"I need to contact Hayata, Moroboshi, Go, and Hokuto and have them come here, Zoffy is also on the way, something is coming where several Ultra are needed"

"Understood"

The four quickly make arrangements to have others handle their duties in Kobe and then the group simply waits for whatever is coming and come the enemy did. Taro fought hard and just when Hayata prepared to jump in per the plan the entire group got a surprise they weren't expecting

"That's...Mebius...Mirai's alive!"

And indeed Ultraman Mebius was alive and out of the Ultra zone, and also a _lot_ stronger than before. Back when Mebius had fought lesser Bogal and had gotten trapped in the ultra zone Mirai was at first relieved that his friends would be alright, and then saddened that they would learn the truth about him because he would be thought dead instead of finding out because he wanted them to find out. Once the initial battle was over Mirai looked for a way out for four months finally succeeding only a day before and he quickly rushed back to Earth hoping that GUYS was still standing. When he arrived he saw Taro needing his help and as such he quickly joined the battle and Mirai himself was joined by Zoffy

*Mebius, we received a report you were dead*

*Sorry Zoffy, got stuck in the ultra zone for four months and only just escaped, full report later for everyone*

*Let's fight together*

The enemy would ultimately retreat that day which gave Mirai time to explain his story to Crew GUYS and they in turn told him the highlights of the past four months. Eventually the enemy was taken care of and Mebius was once more the sole ultra protecting Earth until after Alien Empera was defeated when he left Earth due to his mission being over


End file.
